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Pumpkin Pie

The British have never really got pumpkin pie, although cookbook writers have been trying hard to make us like it for over 300 years – long before the first recipe appeared in Cucubita pepo’s native America. Jill Dupleix quotes a 1932 letter to the Times in which a gentleman marvels at the prodigious growth of the pumpkin in his garden – but adds doubtfully, “Whether it is a food worth eating remains to be seen.”

The idea of having something so vegetal for pudding freaks us Brits out slightly, as anyone who’s ever baked a courgette cake for the bring and buy sale will no doubt attest – even carrot cake took a while to catch on this side of the Atlantic. This makes pumpkin pie perfect for Halloween parties, but I reckon, with a little love and attention, this Thanksgiving classic could be a genuine seasonal hit: autumnal, colourful, and packed with the sweet spices long beloved of British cooks, it’s really nothing to be scared of.